After Trip Tucker loads six spatial charges onto a shuttlepod to excite the dark matter, Archer and T'Pol take the shuttlepod out to the nebula. After departure, T'Pol inquires about Robinson. Archer begins to tell her of when they had served in Starfleet together.

Past

Commander Jonathan Archer meets with Commodore Forrest and proudly announces that he achieved a 92% efficiency in the warp reactor simulation. But he is disappointed when Forrest tells him that Robinson had been selected to pilot the NX-Alpha. That night, he has a drink with Robinson and several other pilots. Taking him aside, Robinson tells Archer that he did not get the assignment because he is too by-the-book.

Two weeks later, however, Robinson easily breaks the warp 2 barrier. But when he ignores orders to drop to impulse, he accelerates and the ship explodes shortly after reaching warp 2.2. Robinson, fortunately, survived by jettisoning an escape pod while at warp.

The Vulcans immediately claim that this proves that Humans are progressing in warp technology too quickly, and that the warp program will have to be postponed and the warp engine built from scratch. Archer expresses outrage at the idea, and he is joined by Charles Tucker, an engineer working on the NX Program.

Later in the 602 Club, Archer and his new friend Trip Tucker agree that it isn't the engine at fault, but rather the intermix ratio. Further adding to Archer's anger is that Robinson admits that he faced the Vulcans and blamed the destruction of the NX-Alpha on Henry Archer's warp engine design. Archer and Robinson get into a fight which is shortly broken up.

Later, Archer discovers Robinson in the locker room packing, and convinces him that if they could get the intermix right, the ship would achieve stable warp flight. Robinson suggest that they test the theory by stealing the NX-Beta. Archer reluctantly agrees.

With the assistance of Tucker on the ground, Archer and Robinson launch the NX-Beta and enter warp. As Starfleet Security realizes that the ship has been stolen, the NX-Beta encounters similar problems that destroyed the NX-Alpha. However, just as security moves in on Tucker, Archer proudly announces that they are maintaining a steady warp 2.5, thus proving the engine design works.

Present

Archer tells T'Pol that the Vulcans grounded the warp ships until every possible simulation could be run. After a year, however, they admitted that the engine was sound after all.

They launch the final two charges, the previous four having failed, and are rewarded with a nebula appearing before their eyes.

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Memorable quotes

"You remember what Buzz Aldrin said when he stepped onto the moon?"
"No."
"Nobody does. Because Armstrong went first."

- Archer and Ruby

"Optimism doesn't alter the laws of physics."

- T'Pol, to Archer

"One thing I learned from A.G.: You're never going to get anywhere without taking risks."
"You obviously admired this man."
"Quite a bit."
"And yet he cracked your molar?"
"Yeah, Humans can have funny ways of forming friendships."
"To say the least."

- Archer and T'Pol

"When the first warp five starship is built, its captain won't be able to call home every time he needs to make a decision. He won't be able to turn to the Vulcans. Unless he decides to take one with him."

- A.G. Robinson, to Archer

"Don't worry, you'll get out there some day. If I had my own ship, I'd sign you up in a second."
"I'm going to hold you to that!"

- Archer and Tucker

"We didn't build this engine to make test runs around Jupiter. We built it to explore! If my father were alive today, he'd be standing here asking: 'What the hell are we waiting for?' "

- Archer, to Commodore Forrest

Background information

The flashbacks of this episode serve as a prelude to the first episode of the series, ENT: "Broken Bow".

The search for the first Dark Matter Nebula would seem to be redundant as Archer mentions in the episode "Breaking the Ice" that he had previously "made a run" to a dark matter nebula to set up a graviton telescope.

The NX hangar exterior was previously seen in the sci-fi series Seven Days as the Never Never Land facility.

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